4 tips for parenting children with ADHD

If your child has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, know that you're not alone. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 11 percent of children between the ages of 4 and 17 were diagnosed with ADHD in 2011. Parenting children with this disorder can definitely be challenging and – at times – overwhelming. Here are four tips for parenting children with ADHD:

1. Help your children get more rest
While proper sleep is important for all children, it is especially critical for those with ADHD. Adequate rest will help calm your kids down and increase their concentration during the day. To help your children get to sleep faster, eliminate caffeine from their diet and make sure they get plenty of exercise throughout the day. It is also helpful for your children to do a relaxing activity before bedtime, like taking a bath or meditating.

2. Enroll them in martial arts classes
It turns out that martial arts can do much more than keep children in good shape and improve their self-confidence. The sport can also help improve ADHD symptoms. According to ADDitude Magazine, martial arts is beneficial for those with ADHD because it helps improve neural networks in the brain and makes it easier to practice self-control. Sulphur Springs ATA has a great sign up special right now to help you begin this journey. 

3. Establish a routine
Because children with ADHD can easily get distracted and lose focus, it's important to establish a routine for them. This way, they can finish everything they're supposed to and not get flustered. Have your kids wake up, eat breakfast, do homework and play at the same times every day.

4. Feed them healthy snacks
According to Everyday Health, feeding children with ADHD nutritious snacks can keep them calm and prevent mood swings. Keep sugary treats to a minimum and fill your children up with foods that contain protein and healthy carbohydrates. For example, give your kids hummus as a snack before dinner. It's packed with fiber, protein and vitamins, so it will help your children stay calm and focused. Dried fruit and nuts are another great protein-packed snack to give your children. However, be careful not to give your children too much dried fruit and nuts as they can be high in calories.

Help your child by enrolling in Sulphur Springs ATA Martial Arts.  Visit www.sulphurspringsata.com, call 903-243-8767, or visit us on Facebook to start today.  

Originally published at KickSite Mat Chat Newsletter. 

Sparring Clinic with Master Hill

We had a great time this weekend working on sparring techniques with Master Dometrius Hill of Tyler TX.  Check out this video.  For more information, visit www.sulphurspringsata.com

Findint an outlet for ADD or ADHD Through Martial Arts

Kids who have attention deficit disorder or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder find focusing on a challenging task difficult. They're easily distracted and often fidget. While children with ADD or ADHD should seek medical attention and potentially take medication, learning martial arts can support the work their doctors do. 

The staff at Sulphur Springs ATA Martial Arts have advanced training in educating young people with ADD or ADHD. The owners are both Texas state certified teachers, who have worked in the classroom and at the martial arts school for over 10 years.  

The study of martial arts
Because martial arts training is steeped in thousands of years of tradition, it's often associated with certain rituals, like bowing, performing katas, counting in a foreign language or shouting when delivering an attack. From the outside, it may all seem very formal, but this structure can have benefits for kids with ADD or ADHD. 

In class, students have to participate in the formal rituals in addition to concentrating on learning new moves. Children must see how their instructor performed the move and try to mimic it, a task that requires precision, observation and practice. The same goes for sparring. Students will get knocked down if they aren't focused on the fight.

For this reason, many people with ADD or ADHD report improvements in their symptoms after training in martial arts for some time.

''I talk about this all the time because I think it's a huge intervention,'' Dr. John Ratey, an associate professor of clinical psychology at Harvard Medical School, told The New York Times. ''It's becoming very popular as a means of treatment.''

Helpful, but not a cure
It's important to note that while many people experience benefits from training in martial arts, attending classes is not a replacement for medical treatment for ADD and ADHD. Think of it this way: Therapy with a doctor and medicine treat the mental and chemical issues caused by these disorders. Martial arts provide an outlet for kids who have excess energy they don't know how to spend. They can channel their ADD and ADHD through martial arts techniques to learn to get a better handle on their disorders, a skill they'll need beyond the dojo.

''Conceptually it makes sense to me, and I've seen it work clinically, but the martial arts are not a substitute for behavioral therapy or medication,'' Dr. Peter Jaksa, the president of the National Attention Deficit Disorder Association, told The Times. 

Mastering a martial art requires intense concentration and discipline, and because classes are fun for kids, they are more motivated to put in the effort to learn those skills. For children with ADD or ADHD, that may mean developing methods for dealing with symptoms, getting out aggression and finding calm. And when kids combine those lessons with their normal, prescribed treatments, they could find balance.

For more information about how our Karate 4 Kids program can compliment your traditional ADD or ADHD therapy, please visit www.sulphurspringsata.com or call 903-243-8767. 

(originally published at kicksite.net Mat Chat Newsletter)

Begin Your Journey toward Black Belt

4 Weeks for $49 with FREE Uniform.
Please fill out this form and an instructor will contact you within 24 hours.

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How to check in to class

Beginning this week, we will be using the Kicksite system to check in to class instead of attendance cards.

Here is a quick run down of how to check in to class.

When you come to class, to the tablet on the wall under the announcement t.v. You will see this screen...

Tap in your number and tap enter.

For most students, that is it. You are checked in and ready to rock out class.

Leadership students will see this screen. 

You will have to tap which class you are here for.  K4k or Adult TKD are your traditional class. Leadership class is for the Monday/Thursday class.  Assistant hours are when you help in class.

If you have registered for your Kicksite account, you can see your attendance record by logging in then selecting attendance.

Martial Arts and Fitness Part II

Many people sign up for martial arts because of the desire for a fun activity, or to learn self-control.  Many people, however, are not aware of the physical fitness benefits of martial arts like taekwondo and karate.  If you are looking to improve your fitness, or maintain an already healthy lifestyle, we may be just what you are looking for!

1. Improved Cardiovascular Health.

The running, workouts, kicking, punching, and technique drills used in our class get your heart rate moving.  Studies show that the more your heart works during exercise, the stronger that it gets.  Doctors recommend that adults get at least 30 minutes of cardiovascular exercise every day.

2. Weight Loss

It takes a difference of 3500 calories to lose 1 pound.  By reducing the amount you eat, and exercising more, that goal is not as hard as it may seem.  According to Map My Fitness app, just one 45 minute ATA Martial Arts class burns over 600 calories!   A simple lifestyle change and attendance in class can help you lose weight!

3. Improved Reflexes.

Being a good martial artist takes practice and repetition.  Soon your body learns what we call "muscle memory." This is when your body has done the same moves so many times that you can defend yourself without thinking.  This improves the use of your joints. 

4. Stress Relief

Face it.. Many times adults feel like punching something/someone.  We keep this bottled up inside (since it's illegal in all states to punch someone).  This actually hurts the body, especially the heart.  The drills and sparring involved in martial arts actually give a positive way to release the stress from the body.  The endorphins released into your body during the workout have been shown in studies to stay in your body as long as four hours after class.  (Improving your mood when you get home.)

We have programs for all ages, and hope that we can help you on your road to fitness. Please visit our website at www.sulphurspringsata.com for more information and special offer to start you on the journey. Remember, as the saying goes, "The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step."  Take the step toward health and call today.

Daron Bilyeu
Co-Owner and Instructor
Sulphur Springs ATA Martial Arts

Martial Arts and Fitness

One of the top questions I hear about martial arts and taekwondo training is "Do you think it would help me get in shape?" My answer is always a resounding yes.  Even though I am the dad, after our first child, I gained up to an unhealthy weight. 

And by the end of a year of solid training toward my belt testing, I dropped over 50 pounds to return to a weight I had not seen since before high school. 

Ready to start your journey?  Go to www.sulphurspringsata.com and enter your information to receive a special offer to start your journey to black belt and a healthier you!